Get Into More Galleries? Then Don’t Compete With Them!
August 20, 2010
Because of the down economy most artists will take a sale any way they can get it. Artists are trying to sell from their own website and in addition from online shops like Cafe Press, Zazzle and Red Bubble. These same artists come to me and complain that they have trouble getting their work into art galleries. Artists can not have it both ways, in that galleries will not want to represent an artist who they think they will have to compete with when it comes to selling that artist’s work. Why is this and what can artist do about this?
I believe that an artist needs to understand why the art gallery exists. The gallery exists to make money! Today’s artists would do far more gallery work if they thought like a gallery owner and realized it is a business. The gallery owner has gallery overhead such as rent, utilities and insurance. In addition, there are also administrative expenses, marketing costs and employee salaries to cover each month. Running an art gallery is not easy or cheap and especially is not easy when the economy is poor.
If a gallery is to take on your art for representation or for consignment purposes they would not want that same artist to become a competitor who is also selling their art online or through other sources, for less. To the gallery owner, it is unethical and wrong for them to cover the costs of operating the gallery, then have the artist “under cut” them on price. This situation also becomes a “value issue” when the gallery is trying to market and sell the artist’s work. The price that the gallery is offering to the buyer or the art collector is the “best price”. To be able to purchase the same art at a discount or at price lower than what the gallery is offering, eventually makes that art even worth less in the long run.
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